Tag Archives: Kelly Gissendaner

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Here’s my problem. I don’t give a shit if the Pope met with Kim Davis. I don’t care about her or her bigotry, I really haven’t given her much of a thought since she stepped down, I don’t read the articles. I grew up in Kentucky, she is far from alone in her thoughts, she is far from alone in thinking she is above the laws of this country or the laws of ethics (which I believe are also the laws of God.) She is not alone in believing that God justifies her hate. In so many ways I am a progressive pastor and all the hardship that comes with ministry because of people like Kim Davis.

There is another way. My life’s call is to preach the gospel: God is love.

As a minister we have a responsibility to show that God is not a God of hate and judgement in the ways WE determine. I use the Pope here as an example because the Pope is the head of the largest group of Christians in the world, and according to their beliefs his word is the word of God, and therefore, his actions.

As a protestant I do not believe this, however, in the protestant world there is no equivalent, so like it or not, when the Pope speaks and acts in the world, he is representing my faith.

So here’s my problem: I don’t give a shit about the Pope and Kim Davis, I think his advisers were stupid to schedule that meeting, but I really don’t care. I do give a shit that he was in the US while the state of Georgia was in the last days of decision over executing a woman and only make a statement about it, while meeting with a woman (Kim Davis) who’s faith is the definition of hypocrisy.

Instead of a statement about Kelly Gissendaner, why did the pope not attend the execution? Why does this pope- who almost 75% Protestants love, who we share video after video of him stopping to bless the sick, who we share quote after quote about loving the poor, not take the precious moments to speak with a woman moments away from death? Not simply to say it’s wrong for the state to kill people but to show the priority that people are important? Life is sacred.

This week the State of Georgia committed First Degree Murder. They willfully and premeditated a taking of another human being’s life, a creature of God. As they strapped her to a table and shoved needles into her arm. As they did she apologized, she sang Amazing Grace, then they injected her with a series of deadly poisons to stop her heart, until her body was limp and void of life.

Shame on us, all of us. I pray that God is as gracious as I preach, I pray that God is as forgiving as I claim. Shame on us. May God have mercy on our souls.

*steps off soapbox*

Fine Print: These rantings are the opinion of myself, and myself alone, they do not represent Ashland Presbyterian Church or the Presbyterian Church USA or any board that I serve on or represent at any given time. Or at least my lawyer tells me to say that. PS- I don’t have a lawyer.